Maryland Bills Would Safeguard Gay People

April 8, 2005|By John Wagner and Matthew Mosk, the Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- Maryland lawmakers approved a pair of bills Thursday offering new rights and protections to gay people, one that would allow domestic partners to make medical decisions for each other and another adding offenses motivated by sexual orientation to the state's hate-crimes law.

After an impassioned and, at times, contentious debate, the Maryland House of Delegates approved legislation that would empower gay couples and other unmarried partners who register with the state the same medical decision-making rights afforded to spouses. A similar measure passed the Senate last month. Opponents said they viewed the legislation as a disguised "civil union" act.

Anthony O'Donnell, a Republican, called creation of the registry "a sweeping change" and said he feared it would "chip away at the traditional institution of marriage" and "rip families apart."

The measure passed 83-50 after an emotional plea from Delegate Richard Madaleno, a gay Democrat, who described how a gay friend spent his final hours of consciousness alone among strangers, while his partner stood in a hospital waiting room, pleading to gain access to his bedside.

In the Senate, lawmakers Thursday voted 34-13 to expand the state's hate-crimes law to include crimes based on the sexual orientation of the victim -- a measure that had already cleared the House.